Nova Scotia Archives

Archibald MacMechan

Halifax Disaster Record Office Materials

Personal narrative - Arthur Lismer

08 February 1918. — 5 pages : 30 x 39 cm.

view page 1 2 3 4 5 view transcript 1 2 3 4 5

close

note: transcription publicly contributed - please contact us with comments, errors or omisions

MG 1 volume 2124 number 167

HALIFAX DISASTER RECORD OFFICE
Chronicle Building
Halifax, N.S.
February 8, 1918

PERSONAL NARRATIVE.
A. Lismer, Head of Victoria School of Art and Design
Residence, Bedford.

Had glass of house smashed and other damage done. Came into City as far as overhead bridge at Fairview, where he was stopped by military cordon. Met injured people in hat-waggons. Thursday being the day of the hay-market in the City. Saw three hay-waggons containing probably half-a-dozen injured people suffering from slight cuts, which had been damaged. Noticed one man driving and supporting two injured persons with an arm round each. Lismer returned to Bedford partly on foot and partly in a motor. Saw the first [illegible] hospital train from Halifax stop at Bedford at twenty minutes to two "Simply packed" with injured, blood everywhere. Very excited train-man told him to look in the windows and see. Man tried to light cigarette, much excited. Returned to Halifax in the afternoon and saw bodies being removed, wrapped up in quilts, overcoats, (some very good) etc. Snow, the undertaken had a heap of such wrappages afterwards and did not know what to do with them. Lismer believed that he advertised having them in his possession.

Note. Freak of glass. Painted glass of Lismer's house front door in Bedford was driven along the hall-way into the kitchen took a sharp turn to the left into a sittingroom, (the doors being all open,) and was found in a small heap underneath a Franklin stove.

Note Large green blind with stick four feet long, found after the explosion in the museum of the Victoria School of Art and Design.


Head of Victoria School of Art and Design.

Reference: Archibald MacMechan Nova Scotia Archives MG 1 volume 2124 number 167

Nova Scotia Archives — https://archives.novascotia.ca/macmechan/archives/?ID=167

Crown copyright © 2024, Province of Nova Scotia.